The Galaxy S8 and S8+ were released about two years ago, and they pioneered an important design transition for the South Korean phone maker. The devices launched the Infinity display trend, which, generally speaking, is marked by tall and skinnier screens that have become a norm in modern smartphones. The devices also laid the foundation for the Note8, which is still an excellent device by today’s standards owing to its capabilities such as camera prowess.
The pair and the Note8 have started receiving Android 9 Pie beta software for select markets across the globe. This development implies that Samsung is readying Pie goodies for its 2017 flagships, which, if the manufacturer adheres to its calendar, should officially roll out for the masses in February.
The beta program was preceded by a similar exercise for 2018’s flagships (the S9 series and Note9), which are currently being updated intermittently across the world. The update is yet to hit the Kenyan market, but it will only be a matter of days before it rolls out.
Samsung has overhauled Samsung Experience to a more modern skin dubbed One UI that will test extensively and report on as soon as we lay hands on any device rocking one. The design makeover has been spotted in devices such as the punch hole-spotting Galaxy A8s – and we expect the interface to feature in Samsung’s next releases such as the imminent Galaxy M series, and the S10 series that should go live on February 20.
Samsung’s update record has always been below par, and we are constantly saddened by this slowness that never improves year on year. We also don’t expect the trend to change owing to the nature of Samsung Experience/One UI that is packed to the brim with (useful) features that take an extended period to update and optimize.
